A rare dinosaur fossil has been restored by an international team of scientists — led by Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager from the University of Bristol and including Dr. Lindsay Zanno from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences — using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT scanning) and digital visualization techniques. The work is described this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Sometime during the late 1950s, mankind has achieved the capability of manned space flight and built “The Wheel,” a space station in orbit 1,075 miles above the Earth. From The Wheel, an advanced spaceship is now being launched to distant Mars under the command of Colonel Samuel T. Merritt. Along for the ride are his son Captain Barney, a few crew members, a disgruntled stowaway, a threadbare Bible and … a .45 pistol. I got a bad feeling ‘bout this.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded $112,679 to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for an evaluation project called PACE (Promoting and Advancing Civic Engagement). The project, which starts December 1, 2014, will examine how the interface of research and education in the Museum’s Nature Research Center (NRC) combine to give visitors a holistic learning experience about the nature and process of ongoing science research.